Seven Best States in the US

Hey you, how you doin'?  Ready for another holiday weekend? I am.

I have to go back to work for a day, and then I have one!  Magic.

In honor of the USA's recent birthday celebration, I shall present the blog entry I had intended on posting on the 4th of July.  I'm getting into the hang of this blogging daily thing, I just need to bank a few posts so its not an "Oh Snap! I need to knock out a bleepin' post today!" before I go to bed...

...at 9pm. Earlier than my grandma...



I love to travel and road trip and just see this great country!  I have been fortunate enough to see my fair share of states and I have a serious goal of seeing all 50 states before I die.  I think I've seen 15?  Seeing  counts as spending a significant amount of time in it, to be determined by ME.  Saw Utah in less than 6 hours.  Check!


The Seven Best States in the US, According to Devyn:

• Tennessee.  Rock and roll all the way!  Elvis Presley's longtime home is here, Graceland is one of my fondest travel memories.  Who can forget the amazing bbq and the sexiest accents to grace my ears?  I belong in Memphis.  
• Arizona. AZ has an unfair advantage because it happens to be my home state.  But with very little true winter weather, sunny skies 90% of the year, and the most amazing monsoons you have ever seen, this state truly is my happy place.  I don't ever wanna live anywhere else!
• Massachusetts.  Hands down, the single most history rich state I have ever visited.  Never knew so much history happened here.  I was fortunate enough to spend a total of almost 3 months in Boston and I feel like I have seen more than the average tourist sees there.  They also happen to have amazing accents here, Harvard=Hahvahhhd.  I also met my first true winter snow season here.  
• Texas.  If my dad is reading this, he will tell you that is all that needs to be said.  He was born in TX and is a proud Texan.  I often call myself 1/4 Mexican, 1/2 Texan and 1/4 mutt.   Another state with a seductive accent to me.  I'll take a tall, dark and handsome cowboy please and thanks.  YEEHAW!
• Missouri.  My grandparents live in a small town in the country here.  I have spent many summers here.  I can truly say I haven't seen a greener state in all my travels.  Trees, grass, nature in mass quantities everywhere you look.  There are Walmarts everywhere too, if you're into that kind of thing. 
• Ohio.  KM is from here and has way more home state pride than I do.  She speaks so highly of it, its hard to not love it like she does.  I went home with her one time and saw a sliver of what makes it so awesome to her.  Wendy's hometown! Yes please.  They also had a huge pile of salt somewhere for the winter.  Look there, that's our salt pile! Jealous.  I don't have a salt pile or a winter that necessitates one...
• Oklahoma.  This made my list simply because I love to drive over the state line and sing "Ooooooooooooooklahmoa where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains..."

Until tomorrow, I bid you goodnight!

Seven Magnificent Ways to Spend Time With Your Family

Yesterday was the 4th of July.  Happy Birthday America!

I was busy spending quality time with my family and never got around to writing a post on the holiday...so today, on July 5th I give you Seven Magnificent Ways to Spend Your Time With Family!

• Take a defined shopaholic to The Container Store for the first time.  Hours of fun! Did you know they make containers for EVERYTHING?  Just browsing is quite entertaining.  Let me just say that my family is well on its way to pure organized bliss.
• IKEA.
• Standing on the back porch with rain pouring down every which way, while getting soaking wet and pummeled with micro-hail.  Kind of like a massage, but not.  So much fun, makes all of your cares slip away temporarily.  I highly recommend it. 
• Scrapbooking.  You tell your whole family about your trips and adventures which leads to them telling you theirs.  Next thing you know, you learned something new about your grandmother, your aunt, your supposedly angelic cousin and your own parents even.  All because you went to Boston.  Oh and now I know my one cousin who has always had an extensive wardrobe was wearing the same shirt for two school photos in a row! 
• Sitting around staring at each other.  Often the best way to just hang out with family.  Staring lovingly into their eyes and having your soul examined through your own eyes.  Deep, right?
• Eating a meal.  Laughing, hilarity and delicious home cooked food.  Steaks on the 4th of July? Yes please. 
• Road Trippin'.  The single greatest family moments I have take place in the back of a minivan or front seat of some car.  Similar to that annoying "what happens in vegas..." phrase, what happens in a car on a trip is your carload's business.  You don't need to discuss it with the caravan, you just live in the moment and get a little closer to those you are riding with.  You feel old cause your baby cousin is now driving you around, for example.

There you have it.  These are all great things that I love to do when I am home which I have done the past few days.  I really enjoy family time.  I apologize for being so mushy-gushy and promise that the blog will return to full speed ahead after one more day of r&r.

I shall leave you with three words: Harry.Potter.Week.

Seven Favorite Libations

Hi all!  Thanks for coming by.  This blog already has more page views than 3 of my other failed blogs after only three days live.  Let's pick up some momentum and get some more comments in here.  Even if you email me your private comments!  I have been thinking about this blog a lot and have a lot of really fun ideas planned.  Seriously, stay tuned.  Onward and upward. 

KM is my dear friend and roommate as well as today's guest blogger.  As I said, Devyn takes Sundays off.  Devyn also likes to refer to herself in the third person like a goof.  I am pleased to present to you her seven today, as emailed directly from her:


KM's Seven Favorite Libations:

1. Kiltlifter. It is the single greatest beer I have had, thus far. It is only made and sold in Arizona. It is a darker beer. Not very hoppy which I love. It's best on tap but the bottle is the next best thing. It just recently became available in cans...no bueno. Try it...it's delicious.

2. Cuco's margarita. Cuco's is a Mexican restaurant in Ohio. And they make the best margarita. They don't add any sort of special ingredients, that I know of....but the base mix that they make is just fantastic. The only way to get it is on the rocks with lots of salt. The food is amazing as well but I go there just to drink the margaritas.

3. Dr. Pepper. I don't drink pop, soda for all you non-midwesterners, anymore. I've been off it for over a year and a half. But I still miss the sweet sweet taste of an ice cold Dr. Pepper. With it's 23 flavors of goodness, it pains me slightly that they made it taste even better after I stopped drinking it. I have a sip from time to time and the flavors are intense and delicious (sigh).

4. Peppermint hot chocolate. It is my all time favorite winter drink. I usually get it from Starbucks, yeah yeah I know...Starbucks, but it is just so damn good there. If I'm near a Starbucks anytime during the season, it must be bought. It's the perfect balance of chocolate and peppermint...how much more classic can you get?

5. Arnold Palmer. Because I have given up pop, i have been forced to find other beverages to drink because water just doesn't do it for me. A perfectly made Arnold Palmer has become my go to drink. The sour lemonade with the sweet tea is just fantastic. (Add a little vodka to it and it is even better)

6. Sweet tea. It has to be the best thing that has come out of the south. What's great about sweet tea from places like Georgia is that is usually your only option of tea. They don't know what unsweetened tea even is. This stuff is so good, I've considered getting an IV drip of it. Yummm

7. Bloody Mary. A bloody Mary is an amazing drink and I will tell you why. It has the tomato flavor (duh) that is sweet. And then the spice and heat that just warms you all the way through. The only acceptable garnish for this drink is celery...no pickle, no onion...celery. If I could, I would start every morning with one.



Thank you KM!  I thought I knew you very well but I guess I didn't know all of your favorite libations as good as I thought.


Cherry Kool-Aid anyone?

Seven Sweet Republic Flavors

Hey there!  A very special 7 is coming up in this post, a ranked post.  I generally don't organize my seven in any sort of rhyme or reason, but this category is very special.  I prefer my randomized lists but sometimes priorities must be made clear and what needs prioritizing more than ice cream flavors?  We're talking big time here, folks. 

Sweet Republic is a Phoenix based ice cream shop.  I worked there for their first 2 years or so.  They make everything they serve in house and it is all mind blowingly spectacular.  Everything from ice creams, sorbets, yogurts, to the toppings, sauces and even waffle cones!  I was employee 001 and I am so proud of that! They have been open 3 years and they are still doing ass-kickin' work.  Only getting better by the day.


Devyn's Top Seven Sweet Republic Flavors(in order):

7.  Coconut Sorbet.  So rich and creamy, you will not believe it is sorbet.  Coconut is awesome that way.  Top if off with chunks of fresh shaved coconut mixed in and you have a tropical delight that is both refreshing, creamy and satisfying.  Chewing your sorbet is awesome! 
6.  Rocky Road Ice Cream.  This is a rocky road I love driving down, suspension be damned!  (See what I did there?)  Almonds, chocolate chunks, and house-made marshmallows.  Crunchy, chewy, melty, and chocolately.  I love the texture!
5.  Apple Pie Ice Cream.  This ice cream usually makes its appearance around Thanksgiving time and boy is it worth the wait.  It has all of the best parts of pie:  streusel chunks, apple bits, and cinnamon ice cream.  Another texture explosion that is worth the aftermath.  It truly tastes like apple pie in ice cream form. 
4.  Strawberry Sorbet.  Super fresh, crazy delicious strawberry flavor, so insanely refreshing.  All this from fresh fruit and natural ingredients?  I don't believe it.  It must have SOMETHING illegal in it.  Too good.
3.  Brownie Swirl Ice Cream.  Homemade brownies are so delicious.  Homemade ice cream is out of this world delectable.  Combine the two and I have no idea what adjective to use.  SUPERFREAKING GOOD!  There are also ribbons of fudge.  Fudge is wonderful with ice cream, just ask the hot fudge sundae.  Let's get swirled!
2.  Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream. Salty/Sweet.  A truly powerful combination of salt and sweet.  Butter caramel sauce made with salt and swirled into the sweet cream base.  Also really pretty to see, the swirling and all creates a pretty scoop of ice cream.  This is the most popular flavor and its completely obvious as to why.  You must try it. 


...and without further ado, here is my absolute favorite flavor of Sweet Republic deliciousness...


1.  Sweet Corn Ice Cream!  The single most luscious ice cream I have ever enjoyed.  Made with one of my favorite vegetables.  Usually vegetables+ice cream= no thanks!  Its so buttery, creamy, slightly sweet, and just the very best texture with actual corn kernels folded in as well.  I have introduced many of my friends and family to this flavor and its a solid split.  Half enjoyed it, half hated me for suggesting they eat more than one bite.  It only comes around in the summertime and must be consumed so often that you can make it to next summer.  Or hoarded deep in my freezer until then, next to my thin mints stash.

This list was actually really hard for me to compile.  Too much good stuff.  There are many runners up such as: peppermint chunk ice cream, dessert honey frozen yogurt, peanut butter chip, real mint chip, espresso, and basil lime sorbet to name a few.  But my seven are ice creams that have really re-invented the boundaries of ice cream for me.  Truly a gourmet experience, worth every penny.

Just so its clear to any and all involved, the only other ice cream that I voluntarily pay too much money for is Blue Bell.  Texas' gift to the nation of frozen dessert lovers.  Thank you, Texas. God Bless America.





Some blog-housekeeping:  I will be taking Sundays off from my personal sevens, but this is where I will invite my friends and family to guest blog and post their own sevens.  Free range of topics to choose from.  Interested? Comment or email me and we will arrange it.  KM is preparing hers for tomorrow!  Get excited!

Seven Smells to Grace My Nose (July 1 edition)

Hi!  Let's get right to it with a quick ode to my nose.  My nose works pretty well.  I think I'll keep it.  It does its thaannggg!  Smellin' smells, holdin' glasses, you know how it goes.  I remember smells vividly.  Thanks Nose!

Smells that trigger long lost memories with wonderful comforting feelings make my day.  Smells that only come along once in a while, or that can never be duplicated no matter how hard you try are particularly awesome.  A terrible day can be completely turned around by just one whiff.  Laundry done at my parents house in Tucson can do that to me.  I have the exact same washing machine and dryer they have, a completely happy accident I might add.  I sought out the exact soap/softener/dryer sheets combo they use(Costco generic soap/real downy/generic Bounce).  I watched and took extensive notes of all their water temperature and soil level settings(cool/cool and medium).  All the research done, I try to duplicate it a few times a week at my house but to no avail.  Sad conclusion: It.Will.Never.Be.The.Same.

Lets be honest, there are also awful smells that can severely wrinkle your trousers.  But this post is not about them...and without further ado here are Devyn's Seven Very Best Smells to Grace My Nose(today):

• Cherry Jello stored uncovered in a walk-in at my work scented the entire cooler after lunch.  I imagine it was like inhaling paradise and boy did I inhale it well...every single time I needed dairy or produce.  Heavenly.  I even considered rubbing it all over the inside of my nose to never have to stop huffing that sweet, sweet poison.  How far is too far though, really?
• Freshly Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies baked by the dozens at work.  I don't need to say anything else, do I? 
• A (not so) Freshly Laundered T-shirt. The first shirt I wore this morning was last laundered in Tucson a few weeks ago, and I didn't like how I looked in it, but I'll be damned if I didn't debate internally for ten minutes before I took it off based on fragrance alone.  I have issues.
• Honey. I had to make a recipe with honey in it today and the smell lingered on my nose.  This is honestly one of my all time favorite smells.  I don't even know what else to say about it.  More honey please!
• Wet Dirt/Cut Grass in my backyard today as I watered my grass.  It was 110F out today and maybe the grass was cooking and that's why it had such an aroma, but it was real nice.  I may have cursed my puny lung capacity.  Oh Grass, am I right ladies?
• Lemon Fresh Clorox Wipes were sniffed as KM was cleaning her bathroom today.  So fresh and so clean!  Nothing smells better than a clean bathroom.  Refreshing.
• My Pillow is more of an anticipated smell, as it is calling my name.  It exudes a delectable mix of shampoo, laundry, and eau de Devyn(whatever that is).  Lulls me to a sweet smelling dream or two, nightly!

Basically you were just with me for my entire day.  A day in the life of Devyn's nose as it were.

Seven dreams to all and to all a good night!
D

PS I'm Sorry Mom & Dad, now the entire world knows 2 of the variables to your laundry secrets.